Welcome to Bimmerfest -- The #1 Online Community for BMW related information! Please enjoy the discussion forums below and share your experiences with the 200,000 current, new and past BMW owners. The forums are broken out by car model and into other special interest sections such as BMW European Delivery and a special forum to voice your questions to the many BMW dealers on the site to assist our members!

UPDATE - NOW WORKING - I cannot get my IPhone 4S (version iOS 6) to connect with the Office functions. The Dealer updated software and provided instructions from a publication B84 04 12. The options in the Office do not even show up in the menu. At a minimum, I would like to be able to see new e mail messages as they come in while it is connected. All other connections seem to be working. Does anyone have a fix or any recommendations?
Thanks!

Assistance appreciated. I cannot get my IPhone 4S (version iOS 6) to connect with the Office functions (I can access contacts only). The options in the Office do not even show up in the menu. At a minimum, I would like to be able to see new e mail messages as they come in while it is connected. All other connections seem to be working. Does anyone have a fix or any recommendations?
Thanks!

I haven't managed to get my iPhone 5 to show e-mails, but I do get texts. In the following link, I have posted some pics showing my phone's settings that allow me to receive text messages and have them read aloud. Hope this helps!

Yep - for phone and text. I use my old (no data plan) 4S as an iPod plugged into the ISB for music so I get cover art and the ability to view tracks under the tach, which you don't get with Bluetooth audio.

Update - I called BMW customer service today and they informed me that the application for 4S in currently unavailable. They mentioned that they HOPE to have it in future months. Apparently, Black Berry is the only phone that works with all Office functions. Does anyone have a work around? It seems like there must be something out there for I Phone 5 according to what I have seen on this forum. I would just like to get texts and emails - does not have to have full functionality.
Thanks again.
RJJM

It was forever the case that only BBs worked with the office functions outside of contacts and voice calls, which was odd given the close relationship between BMW with Apple and the lengths they went through with BMW Apps and general iPod connectivity.

MAP was the feature that the iPhone always lacked that BB had that allowed for the BT text and e-mail. MAP was added with iOS 6 (i.e. software), so there must be some other issue that prevents the 4S from working like the iPhone 5.

I haven't managed to get my iPhone 5 to show e-mails, but I do get texts.

I get both emails and texts from my iPhone 5. You can see in the attachment, the top two are texts and the bottom two are emails. You even have an option for the car to read the message to you, which I shamelessly videotaped and I can upload if anyone really wants to see it.

I was getting texts and emails too using a 4S and iOS6. Texts generally came up on their own but to get email I had to toggle emails off then on again in the phones notification center. The emails still showed up under the text section of current office in idrive.

Have you updated to the new idrive software? Not sure if the '13s have them pre installed

Lol... my car was in production after the update was released and it also came with the outdated idrive software so no worries. You may very well have the updated version but it doesn't hurt to check.

Basically, you just go the software section in the BMWNA website and download it to a thumb drive, stick it in the USB port under the armrest and click update in the idrive. Here's the thread that discusses how to do it in detail:

OK Latest attempt by installing the newest software did not work and still cannot receive text nor other office functions. I am also getting a message stating: Audio via USB is not supported by Owners IPhone with Bluetooth audio activated. Bluetooth audio was deactivated for Owners I phone. Please activate USB audio if necessary. Also I am using the cradle not the cord.
Southern6er and Itinj6 thanks for your continued efforts.

Here's where I stand:
- iPhone 5 with latest software (iOS 6).
- iPhone 4S deactivated and used solely for iPod function. This is plugged into the white Apple cable and USB port.
- iPhone 5 has BT turned on and is linked to the car. Notifications are turned on for text and e-mail in the settings menu. BT audio is turned off for this phone.
- Texts load in iDrive only if they are received while in the car with the phone connected.
- E-mails load in iDrive only if they are received while in the car with the phone connected AND I switch notifications off then back on for each account every time I get in the car. E-mails are currently appearing as text messages rather than e-mails in the iDrive menu.

OK Latest attempt by installing the newest software did not work and still cannot receive text nor other office functions. I am also getting a message stating: Audio via USB is not supported by Owners IPhone with Bluetooth audio activated. Bluetooth audio was deactivated for Owners I phone. Please activate USB audio if necessary. Also I am using the cradle not the cord.
Southern6er and Itinj6 thanks for your continued efforts.

If you have the audio bluetooth on in the idrive telephone set up and you connect the iPhone with the USB cable, the bluetooth audio is turned off, but your iphone bluetooth is still on.
Try to remove bmw from your iphone and to remove all bluetooth phones from your bmw idrive. Then turn off all notifications from your iPhone and then restart the pairing process between your BMW and iPhone. After that go to bluetooth in your iPhone and turn notification and then go to general notifications in the iPhone and turn them on. If still you do not get SMS notifications in idrive while connected then start turning messages notification off and then on.
My iPhone started not connecting and I tried all these and after a few tries everything started working again, meaning SMS all the time. Emails, whatsApp, vibe only will work if you turn off and then on these app notifications with each start.

Also, since the software update, you can try resetting/rebooting the ldrive. I forgot to mention that before but I did that as well. It's a long press of the radio volume button. Like 30 seconds long l believe.

For you guys that get text messages on your idrive with iphone, does it make a noise when a text comes in? Or does it just give you the envelope at the top of the screen.

Also, when you paired your phone what boxes came up to check mark? Mine only showed telephone and audio. Iphone 4S with 6.0.2

I only check the "telephone" box. If you have BT audio checked, then you don't hear any iPhone noises at all if you aren't listening to BT audio (i.e. iPod, audio off, etc.).

To answer your above question, the envelope just shows up when you're listening to an iPod or something other than BT audio streaming. You'll hear your text/phone/e-mail noises through the sound system if you are listening to BT audio.

Since I listen to the iPod through the USB port, I only see the envelope appear, but I often feel it vibrate to cause me to look and see if I have a new message.

I only check the "telephone" box. If you have BT audio checked, then you don't hear any iPhone noises at all if you aren't listening to BT audio (i.e. iPod, audio off, etc.).

To answer your above question, the envelope just shows up when you're listening to an iPod or something other than BT audio streaming. You'll hear your text/phone/e-mail noises through the sound system if you are listening to BT audio.

Since I listen to the iPod through the USB port, I only see the envelope appear, but I often feel it vibrate to cause me to look and see if I have a new message.

People on the F10 forum indicated they got a ding (bmw tone) through the speakers. I only get the envelope. My Mercedes gives me a sound and envelope, very reliably.